B.first A project, an association, a mission.

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At the end of 2020 something more than a great baseball coach left us, a huge point of reference for many coaches that have worked directly or indirectly with him and the MLB in European and International players development: Bill Holmberg!

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Bill has been a great professional in the MLB organization and the fulcrum for many activities, particularly in Europe and South Africa, after his departure it immediately raised the necessity to do something to remember him.

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The initial idea.

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B.First borns by the desire of few friends that after his departure didn´t want to waste his enormous human and technical baggage, the same baggage that in many years of international activity always defined him for his quality, professionality and respect.

 

The difficult task of preserving and carrying on his legacy will have to be combined with the need to evolve, update himself, constantly confront himself as he loved to do.

 

Experiment, improve, share.

Experimenting, improving, sharing were three verbs that were part of his daily lexicon. To all this was added his passion in helping the boys, all the boys (even those of opposing teams if they asked him) in growing and becoming, in fact, the "best" the "number one".

 

Here is the meaning of the name of this project: "B." obviously stands for Bill and "first" to remember that for him the boys came first, they were the ones to preserve and help in their sporting growth (and not only). Everyone was welcome and allowed everyone to work to be better, sometimes "the first". No truth in your pocket, but a lot of experience gained through years of attempts and experiences and that we, his friends on and off the pitch, have shared, discussed, accepted or modified according to our ideas, but always with the spirit that he transmitted to us with that his "big body" that he carried around and his inevitable smile. Because every time he was on the pitch, he was happy.

 

Whenever he could play baseball, he was happy. Every success of "his players" made him happy. Even when the boys weren't his, he was happy for them if they got a hit because, first of all, he loved baseball… and he loved his family who always supported him in his many commitments. But he had this enormous ability to always be there, for everyone, even when he wasn't physically present.

 

He was Bill.

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